CHICAGO () — ABC 7/WLS-TV Chicago will carry live coverage of the 97th annual Bud Billiken Parade, the signature event that launches the Back-to-School Festival. The two-hour broadcast of the nation’s largest African American parade is set for Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon on ABC 7 and abc7chicago.com, with coverage also available on the station’s streaming and digital platforms.
ABC 7 Eyewitness News anchors Cheryl Burton, Hosea Sanders and Val Warner will guide viewers through the celebration from the broadcast booth. Terrell Brown and Karen Jordan will report from along the route, capturing the energy on the street, while Samantha Chatman and other ABC 7 team members will greet paradegoers from the ABC 7 Chicago float.
This year’s Bud Billiken Parade countdown highlights 97 years of excellence and will put a spotlight on some of Chicago’s standout performers. The back-to-school tradition will include high-energy appearances by the Jesse White Tumblers, South Shore Drill Team, Golden Knights Drill Team, Chi-Town Cheerleaders, Next Level Dance Team, MBM Dance Team and Little Ladies of Virtue, among others.
Chicago native LisaRaye McCoy, an actor, model and entrepreneur, will serve as this year’s Bud Billiken Parade grand marshal. McCoy is known for her roles in “The Players Club” and “Single Ladies,” as well as for having served as the former first lady of the Turks and Caicos.
Drawing more than 1 million spectators, the Bud Billiken Parade is recognized as the oldest and largest African American parade in the United States. Each August, the event brings families together for a day of celebration while marking the start of a new school year for students across Chicago.
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“We are proud to be a part of this 97-year tradition, which has brought joy, inspiration and summer fun to generations of Chicagoans,” said John Idler, general manager, ABC 7/WLS-TV Chicago. “Our long-standing partnership with Chicago Defender Charities also allows us to spotlight the importance of education and student empowerment, which is central to the organization’s mission.”
The parade steps off at 10 a.m. at 39th Street and Martin Luther King Drive. McCoy will lead the procession south on King Drive, continuing through Washington Park before the route ends at Garfield Boulevard.
About ABC7/-TV Chicago
ABC 7/WLS-TV Chicago is the city’s No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station. Its top-rated daily newscasts have served the region for decades, and ABC 7 Eyewitness News has the market’s largest social media presence, with more than 3.5 million Facebook followers. Across platforms, the station delivers breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press, ABC 7 Eyewitness News produces “Chicago Proud,” a feature series honoring everyday heroes in and around Chicago. The station also produces Chicago’s highest-rated New Year’s Eve special, the nationally syndicated holiday kickoff program “The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival,” and the award-winning series “Our Chicago,” which celebrates the city’s diversity and highlights contributions from the Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBTQ+ communities, among others. Each Friday, “Windy City Weekend” entertains viewers while sharing what they need to know about events across the city. ABC 7 is the only Chicago station that produces and broadcasts parades reflecting the city’s rich cultural history. It also has a long tradition of airing political candidate debates to help inform Chicago voters, as well as town halls that give residents a platform to voice concerns. ABC 7’s community outreach includes an annual partnership with local food banks that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, along with its work with the Red Cross on the Great Chicago Blood Drive, one of the largest one-day blood drives in the country.
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